Printing mechanisms often include an inkjet printhead which is capable of forming an image on many different types of media. The inkjet printhead ejects droplets of colored ink through a plurality of orifices and onto a given media as the media is advanced through a printzone. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cmediaxe2x80x9d may refer to one or more medium. The printzone is defined by the plane created by the printhead orifices and any scanning or reciprocating movement the printhead may have back-and-forth and perpendicular to the movement of the media. Methods for expelling ink from the printhead orifices, or nozzles, include piezo-electric and thermal techniques. For instance, two earlier thermal ink ejection mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,278,584 and 4,683,481, both assigned to the present assignee, the Hewlett-Packard Company.
A printing mechanism may have one or more inkjet printheads, corresponding to one or more colors, or xe2x80x9cprocess colorsxe2x80x9d as they are referred to in the art. Many inkjet printing mechanisms contain a service station for maintenance of the inkjet printheads. The service station may include scrapers, ink-solvent applicators, primers, and/or caps to help keep the nozzles from drying out during periods of inactivity.
Some service stations are configured to minimize space and/or reduce cost by moving substantially in-line with the motion of the printheads, and by being activated into a servicing position by a carriage transporting the printheads. One such in-line service station can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,386. While in-line service stations can save space, the process of activating the service station into the servicing position can create an undesirable amount of noise.